Maharashtra recorded 2,739 cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, pushing its tally to 82,968. The State also recorded 120 more fatalities, taking the death toll to 2,969. The financial capital Mumbai topped the number of fatalities with 58 deaths, the city’s highest single-day jump so far.
Also read: Maharashtra reports highest fatality surge
Of the latest victims in the State, 78 were men and 42 were women. More than half of the deceased had co-morbid conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease etc.
While Mumbai continues to record the highest number of fatalities in the State, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region has also become a cause of concern. On Saturday, Thane recorded 10 deaths, Navi Mumbai and Ulhasnagar recorded six each, Mira Bhayandar recorded five, Bhiwandi recorded three, Vasai-Viral and Palghar recorded one each. Pune also recorded 10 deaths.
The COVID-19 task force formed by the State government interacted with doctors in Thane, Kalyan-Dombivali, Jalgaon and Bhusawal to discuss the increasing number of cases and deaths, and ways to reduce the mortality.
The case fatality rate in the State currently stands at 3.5%.
On Saturday, nearly 2,234 patients were discharged from hospitals. Altogether, 37,390 patients have recovered and have been discharged so far, taking the recovery rate to 45%. Presently, 29,098 people are under institutional quarantine.
New price cap
State Health officials on Saturday announced that a new lowered price cap on COVID-19 testing is likely to be decided next week. The cost of the test is currently ₹4,500 and a State-appointed committee is working to further reduce it as the availability of testing kits is not an issue at the moment.
The Indian Council of Medical Research has given the go-ahead to all States to rework the price caps.
